Uzbek distrust in national high schools

Over the last five years, enrolment numbers have halved, while Uzbekistan's state universities continue to lose ground to private and foreign institutions. Only enrolment fees continue to rise.

Tashkent (AsiaNews) - Fewer and fewer young Uzbeks want to enrol in national high schools, with their numbers halving in the last year. As reported by Radio Ozodlik, 18-year-old Elbek has decided to emigrate in search of work, while others, such as Aziza, immediately after her high school exams, believe that “there is no point in studying where critical thinking is not appreciated”.

Considering the high cost of education, even after the cancellation of distance learning, Uzbekistan's state universities are steadily losing ground to private and foreign universities.

Elbek is from the city of Kasansaj in the Namangan region and is ready to go to Russia in search of work, despite all the difficulties faced by Central Asian migrants in recent times, which he will have to face from the moment he reaches the border.

However, his family's limited financial resources do not allow him to enrol at university. Aziza is from Tashkent and would have every opportunity to enrol, but she doubts the quality of teaching in Uzbekistan's state institutions, stating that “I want to study in a more advanced and contemporary academic environment, improve my English, and then go to a foreign university”.

Statistics confirm the lack of confidence in state institutions, where enrolment closed on 26 June: while in 2020 there were 1,484,000 applications, in 2025 this figure fell to 732,411, a record low for the last decade.

According to industry expert Komil Džalilov, there has also been a mass exodus of teachers in recent years, who have flocked to the private sector for higher salaries, greater academic freedom and less bureaucracy.

As he explains, there are 100 private higher education institutions in the country compared to 201 state institutions, including many foreign colleges that are much more attractive, given that state higher education shows no signs of improvement.

And if quality remains inadequate, costs continue to rise, with enrolment in state institutions costing on average between 10 and 15 million som (800-1,200 dollars) and above. Branches abroad are even more expensive, with the entrance exam alone costing 187,500 som (), apart from the few categories that have access to some subsidies.

The study contract must be paid for each year, and low-income families are growing in number, as there is no sign of improvement in Uzbekistan's economy, despite the rosy announcements of state propaganda.

Subsidies are a separate and highly controversial issue, as most are allocated to the families of military personnel, law enforcement officers and other state structures. Priority is also given to the winners of the state competitions “Zulfja” and “Mard uglon” for the “most gifted” girls and boys in the country, with rather questionable selection criteria, as well as various national and international “student Olympics”, young people with foreign language skills or physical or mental disabilities, raising numerous concerns about the selection process, not least because of the high levels of corruption and lack of transparency in the exams.

With the closure of distance learning, online courses and specific professional training centres are growing in popularity, attracting people to possible jobs without waiting for higher education, which does not guarantee secure employment. It is mainly young men who are looking for paid work immediately, while the percentage of female students enrolled in universities is growing.